In my experience one of the main reasons companies struggle is personnel. The amount of ‘C’ level talent in organizations today is almost epidemic and must be addressed if you want to reach your goals. 

This isn’t a blog about how to save the business world, instead it’s about how to use the current state of affairs to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace and excel. Simply put, the quicker you elevate the level of talent the quicker you begin to win. Yes, there’s the loyalty factor to be weighed, but know its cost.

Early in my business career I worked for an organization that ‘turned around’ bad banks. Meaning, when a bank was failing, we went in, took it over and brought it back to profitability. It was my proving ground and where I learned the importance of people. 

I worked for the best guy in the organization and was lucky enough to be his First Lieutenant in our last turn around together. Being in that position afforded me many long hours of conversation where I absorbed his philosophies on business and most importantly – people.

While driving to the bank on our first day of the takeover he said to me – “Buddy, we need to replace a few people in this bank so you best know my philosophy on hiring. I can take a ‘C’ player and turn them into a ‘B’…I can take a ‘B’ player and turn them into an ‘A’…and I can take an ‘A’ player and turn them into a Superstar. Where should I spend my time?”

Of course the answer is with the ‘A’ players because as the old saying goes, time is money and the quicker you reach maximum performance, the more profitable you become. You simply can’t do this without having the right talent on board.

So if you’ve clearly communicated the direction of the company, the work to be done, the level to which it needs to be performed and still aren’t achieving max performance, then you’re probably stuck with less than ‘A’ level talent.

Where do you spend your time?

Dwain – The Biker Guy

As always – These are my thoughts and I look forward to yours.  So, if you disagree or simply want to pile on, please do so here on the BLOG or email me directly at Navigator@BikersGuidetoBusiness.Com  I look forward to hearing from you.